The National Statistics Office (NSO) released a concept paper on Thursday outlining an experimental method to compile monetary asset accounts for India's marine fish resources. According to the paper, the method treats fish resources as both biological resources and economic assets within an environmental-economic accounting framework. The approach applies the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (2025) Measuring Natural Resources in the National Accounts: A Compilation Guide within the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework, seeking to build both physical and monetary 'asset accounts' for fish, species by species.
Under the proposed method, the monetary value of fish resources is estimated using the net present value (NPV) of expected future resource rents over each species' asset life. As reported by the ministry, resource rent is defined as the economic surplus generated by a natural resource after accounting for all production costs, including labour and capital, capturing the resource's true economic value. The paper highlighted that conventional national accounts such as Gross Value Added (GVA) do not distinguish between returns to fishing capital and returns to the natural fish resource, thereby masking depletion of natural wealth even when fisheries output remains high. The ministry noted that this made resource rent "critical for assessing whether fisheries are generating genuine long-term wealth or progressively depleting the country's natural capital base."
The shrimp industry is facing significant challenges with steep increases in feed costs as raw material prices surge. According to industry leaders, fish meal prices have increased to ₹153 per kg in Q1 FY27 from ₹123 per kg in Q4 FY26, while soya bean meal prices rose to ₹58 per kg from ₹49 in the same period. The present purchase price of fish meal is ₹225 per kg, soya bean meal ₹71 per kg, and wheat flour ₹33 per kg. Industry representatives are calling for appropriate policy support to address these emerging challenges, suggesting the need to view the shrimp industry as an integrated value chain rather than treating shrimp farming, feed manufacturing, and seafood exports as separate activities. The government is actively working on price stabilization mechanisms for major inputs to balance affordability for farmers and sustainability for feed manufacturers.
According to the ministry data, India is the second-largest fish-producing country in the world and accounts for 8 per cent of global production. The total production in FY25 was estimated at 19.77 million metric tonnes, of which 4.61 MMT (about 23.3 per cent) came from the marine sector. Marine product exports stood at 1.70 MMT, valued at ₹62,408.45 crore ($7.45 billion), and the sector supports approximately 28 million fishers and fish farmers. The industry estimates feed sales during FY27 would be around 585,000 metric tons, with shrimp exports during FY26 reaching 16,976 MT compared to 14,149 MT in FY25.
Due to unavailability of certain data, the ministry proposed using long-term landing records — the net weight of fish that is actually brought ashore and recorded at landing centres — for formal stock assessments. As reported in the paper, the landing time-series method may be adopted as a practical proxy approach for determining the sustainability status of fish stocks and estimating asset life under existing Indian data conditions. The method draws on landings compiled by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), for which national data go back to 2004.
Industry leaders remain optimistic about price stabilization in raw materials and improved profitability in coming months. The combination of higher input costs, supply side constraints, and fears of further price escalation is currently putting pressure on shrimp feed manufacturers. However, favorable monsoon across India and expected easing of El Niño effects are expected to stabilize raw material prices upon arrival of fresh crops. The industry emphasizes the need for meticulous balance between farmer affordability, feed manufacturer sustainability, and exporter interests to ensure long-term and sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry. The government's ongoing work on price stabilization mechanisms for major inputs is viewed as crucial for maintaining the sector's competitiveness.
